Reality check...

Today was a good day! The Lumberjack was generous with his time this morning and went to local merchants seeking more boxes. This allowed for me to gather a few more important document for underwriting while the baby was being tended to by his part time nanny. I don't know if anyone can relate, but when the husband is home, he somehow always has most of my time and attention.

After securing the documents, I looked around and knew that it was time...

You see, one of my favorite little things to do is to sew. It gives me great pleasure to create something that is loved, with my own hands. I taught myself how to sew a little more than a year ago, on a whim and I haven't stopped since. It's one of the few things I have found that I can start and stop at a moments notice when little lumberjack needs me. Over the last year, my collection of sewing supplies have grown quite drastically. I'm not sure exactly how that happened, but it did. At Christmas, I was gifted a new machine that does embroidery. Unfortunately, I haven't really been able to spend much time playing with it. I managed to do a couple small projects to test it's ability and then had to lay it aside for the sake of moving. You know how we all have the best of intentions? Well, realistically I was really hoping that I could have a day or two to just sit and create some new things for the farm.

As I sat at my desk and looked over to my sewing area I realized that I needed a reality check. It hurt. Part of me was kicking and screaming as I stood up, grabbed a box and starting putting my precious possessions away. Both machines were packed, all the fabric secured for the move, even my new "toys" the kids bought me that I haven't even got to try yet were quietly and quickly packed away. My sewing table now lies barren. Today I am working on delayed gratification. I know in my heart that I would rather set up a sewing area than decorate the master bedroom. That won't serve my family well though. I have accepted the adult choice of taking care of business first. I know that when I finally get my special "me" area set up, I will be well pleased knowing that my heart is free to create.

Shortly after packing up one of my last remaining spaces, the owner of the moving company we are using showed up to do a walk through. Two trucks. We are going to need two trucks to move the big stuff. Wow. Just wow. Neither of his trucks are big trucks, in fact I think you can rent a truck bigger than his two trucks combined. Anything that doesn't fit in one of those two trucks will be left for us to move. When we counted out the number of items we are moving, it totaled 30. That's not so bad when you think about moving not only a house, but a business office too. To quote what a nationwide truck rental has on their website "Bigger families moving both in-town and one-way generally choose 26ft moving truck rentals as they are perfect for 4+ bedroom moves." I don't feel so bad now. We have a really, really big family and 4+ bedrooms. Granted, we will have to make several additional trips with our trucks and trailers. So much for thinking you are living a minimalist lifestyle. I blame the two executive desks and two deep freezers!

So here is our bucket list of items we simply can't live without and are now paying a small fortune to move:

• Two beds (one queen and one full)
• Four dressers
• Three desks
• Conference table
• Two wood filing cabinets
• Washer
• Dryer
• Two deep freezers
• Chifferobe
• Fridge
• Couch
• Dining table & Chairs
• Two Lazy boy recliners
• Four small Ikea shelves
• Glass bookcase
• Three rolling desk chairs

And for good measure, just in case there is room, five tropical plants that weight a million pounds each.

Doesn't seem like much when it's wrote down, but I'm over here shaking my head because we are going to need TWO trucks!

Until tomorrow, I am packing, taping, purging and praying.
Maybe 13 days to go!

Top 20 moving absolutes!

If you haven't read any other post of mine, besides this one, let me just tell you that there is a whole lot of back story involved in this move. I will summarize it as best as I can.

After living in my "New Bride" home and raising my family here over the last twenty years, we are moving.

There. Now that wasn't too long, was it?

I have a great love for reading and researching. For years I have been pinning posts, reading articles, writing down little bits of smart information. I finally am getting a chance to see these all in motion. The following is a short list of really important things I have learned and used. They are in no particular order.

1. Start purging early. If you have lived in a place for even a couple of years, you are really going to want to unload as much as you can early in the game. We literally have been purging for more than a year.
2. Pack "like" things together. Don't just fill a box with random items. I can't imagine anything worse than finding the hairdryer packed in with the baking stones and spices.
3. Label those boxes like crazy. I actually made a three part no fail system. Boxes have a number, the contents of the box written on the box itself, and a colored tag taped to each box. I keep a master list of the numbered boxes and what the contents are and room they came out of or belong to. During the moving process, I will put up colored papers that coordinate to the boxes. Each room has it's own color. Example would be every blue sticker goes to the nursery and a blue sign gets taped to the nursery door.
4. You only need a fraction of what you think you need. Each week, take yet another look at the things still laying out. Can any of it be packed away?
5. Use small and medium sized boxes. We have been picking up free oil boxes from our local auto parts store. They are heavy duty, and even if I pack it full of books, an average person can haul it with no strain. Because they are all relatively the same size, it makes for easy stacking.
6. Sell what you can on local swap sites. Better to have a little money in your pocket than an item you don't truly love.
7. Use paper plates, spoons and cups the final week or two. It's okay. You are not a bad person for taking the easy route. You've got enough on your plate to deal with.
8. Give everyone an overnight bag or suit case. This suggestion came from a couple of friends. I was just going to use a storage tub. However, the suitcases have to be moved anyway and it makes it seem more like an easy transition. Start living out of them two weeks before your move date.
9. Gather a first aid kit. Murphy will happen if you don't. Band-aids, neosporin, Ibuprofen, Tylenol, allergy medicine, contact solution, thermometer, ace wrap, medical tape, sterile gloves, cough medicine, and anything else that your family or helpers might need.Make sure this is one of the first things moved to your new location or keep it on hand.
10. Gather a first day/night box. Think about toilet paper, paper towels, toiletries, soap, shower towels and washrags.
11. Cleaning box for BOTH locations: Garbage bags, paper towels, rags, cleaning products, broom, mops, vacuum, ziploc baggies.
12. Have tools available. Wrenches, hammers, pliers, duct tape, zipties, screw drivers and box knife.
13. Lay old carpet, plastic or tarps down to protect your carpet. No one is willing to take off their shoes at the door when carrying box after box.
14. Have a plan to feed your help. Pizza, soda, bottled water, chips, fresh fruit, cookies... do what it takes to keep them high energy.
15. Have coolers available to move your food. We have two deep freezers, a fridge and a freezer in the fridge. We are eating as much as we can out of it before the move but realistically we will move a great deal of food stuff. Coolers will keep cold things cold until we can get to them.
16. Enlist the help of your friends. Make it a family event. Many hands make light work. I am sure over the years you have helped others move. Beg and plead if you must.
17. Get childcare! Transition is hard, even harder with a fussy baby or toddler. Enlist in a family member or friend that you trust. Have them do their best to keep with your child's normal schedule.
18. Be ready to move. You absolutely do not want people waiting around for you to finish packing boxes or helping you pack! You will never find anything. When the trucks show up, you need to be available to direct traffic, answer questions and move belongings.
19. Try to deep clean each area as you are packing. This allows you to go over it quickly during the final move out and focus your energies in your new home.
20. Pray! Take time to pray with your family before, during and after. A family that pray's together, stays together.
21. 
    

Moving along...Appraisal time

What should have happened nearly a month ago finally came to pass. The text came in yesterday afternoon that the appraisal was finally ordered and was scheduled for today. Good grief Charlie Brown. So today we buzzed around the house, moving packed boxes to a staging area, cleaning up lots of little messes that were caused by our packing sessions. By 1 PM we were ready for the appraiser to come.

Imagine my joy when it was a woman who had a little baby just a bit older than baby lumberjack. She was very nice and professional, while zipping through the house taking pictures, measurements and asking questions. She was here a little over an hour and told us the report will be done in a couple of days. They realized that this hadn't been ordered yet and put in a STAT request.

Once we hear that the house appraises for the amount we finally agreed on, we can request they move their closing date up.

And the fun never ends.

It totally dawned on me today that is about a week, I could be painting at the farm!

I did a poll (totally scientific) on Facebook this past week asking my friends who have moved within the last couple years what percentage of their house was packed by this point. Almost everyone said that they had 90% or more packed by now. Some gave me great advice, some shared mistakes they made. My post tomorrow will be on some of the great helpful hints I have learned about the packing process.

I think today we hit about 70% of our house being packed. That means we have only 30% more to go! Yesterday, the remaining pictures came down off the walls and were carefully packed away. I did another pack up out of the nursery, laundry room and office. I took down curtains and washed them before packing. Ran the laundry and packed what we won't be needing in the next couple of weeks.

Today I talked to the One who is serving our country. He is just finishing up his second deployment and will be back in the States before long. I feel my spirit getting excited just thinking about seeing his beautiful smile in person in just a few weeks. Mothers of Marines (and all branches of the military) will all agree that the best thing is seeing their faces after being gone so long and the hardest is saying our "See ya later". I am really looking forward to spending some precious and much need one on one time with him at the farm. It's important that they always feel like there is a place to come "home" to.

The oldest man cub and She who has healing hands will be leaving on a cruise while we are in moving mode. While this was the worst time ever for my strong boy to  be gone, his other side of the family planned this get away a long time before we set a move date. Traveling mercies are my prayers for those two.

Some how, some way, it's all going to work out in God's perfect timing. I just have to remember that!

Until tomorrow~ I'm packing, purging, praying and drinking a whole lot of coffee!

Planning ahead...

One of the best things about moving is getting to pick and choose what your new spaces are going to look like. I did this a while back with the nursery before little Lumberjack was born. This is the space that we are in right now.

We moved the bed off of the frame and on to the floor so that he wouldn't roll out of bed and get hurt. For quite a while, we had a crib set up and I would try putting little Lumberjack back into bed, only to have him wake up immediately. Back and forth to the crib we would go, hour after hour, day after day until I finally just gave up and gave baby his own side of the bed. We donated the crib, put the mattress in the closet, and called it good. Little lumberjack can freely come and go off the bed to play with his toys or make a little lumberjack sized mess.

When not cleaned for showing, the top of this dresser space doubled as a changing table. We cloth diaper the little lumberjack so normally there is a wicker hamper where the trash can is. I don't really like to keep a lot of things in the drawers, even for my own possessions. The top two drawers have diapers, as does one of the middle drawers. The other three are filled with pajamas, pants and socks. Those things are too difficult to hang in the closet.

Lastly, this is the other side of our nursery. That big dresser holds my toiletries & essentials while the other drawers hold clothes, a few pictures and my bibles. The little desk has toys and books. This set up has worked wonderful for us during our 6 weeks of showings. However, before that desk was moved in, there was a low to the ground shelf system that held the baby lumberjacks favorite toys.

Little lumberjack and I will be parting ways once we move to the farm. My dresser and belongings will move back into the master bedroom where they belong. The only drawback about the farm is that the nursery will be about half of it's current size. Also, there is no closet. MAYDAY!

I am not certain that I have come up with a concrete plan. Thank goodness we have been trying to minimize our possessions and purge like crazy!

This will be the new nursery. Obviously these are the current owners possessions. There is quite a bit in this room. Three chairs, ottoman, writing desk, side table, book case and in the very left corner is a cedar chest. The room itself is roughly 8'x10'. Now, I want to keep with the Montessori method which also lines up pretty nicely with minimalism. Bedroom are for sleep, rest and self care. Right now I am thinking that his new little sleigh bed along the back wall, centered with the window, a long bookcase turned on it's side, 5 cubbies for favorite quiet toys and room for a couple more on top, a mirror mounted at little lumberjacks level above the bookcase, artwork mounted at his level (right now he loves looking at family pictures), a night light, and his new Melissa and Doug town rug. The only other thing I may add would be his little rocking chair (which was my little rocker) to complete a space for "reading" his books. That makes 2 pieces of furniture, a rug and possibly a little chair that would take up floor space. I believe this will give him enough room to actually play with his shelf items while also keeping things so minimal that he can easily pick up after play.

The dilemma of where his things are stored, where we will change diapers haven't completely been decided. I really am not one to change a baby in the middle of the livingroom. I prefer to take care of "business" in an area that is set up specifically for that purpose and is stocked with anything and everything I need within arms distance. The master bathroom is HUGE. It's actually bigger than the nursery. I am seriously considering moving his dresser to that location so that we can diaper and dress in the mornings and after baths.

That space under the window is 7' long if I remember right. I might have just enough room for the dresser in the second picture to fit and use as a changing/dress area. I'll be able to make the final decision when I get in to paint ( I have nothing blue in my house besides clothes), as I'll be able to measure this area.

That's it for today. Sometimes just sitting down and writing about what your ideas are help you to see them in a clearer way. While writing this I changed my mind three times about the contents of baby lumberjacks room. Who knows, I might stumble upon something that I like better between now and then, but at least I have a plan.

Till next time~ I'll be packing, purging & praying! 15 days or so to go!

So many loose ends

The Lumberjack is one of the guys who simply can't have any loose ends what so ever. He really needs everything to be packaged up nice and neat. He is responsible, has so much integrity and pretty much is one of the least selfish men I know. He also won't let anyone run roughshod over him or be taken advantage of. He is forever reminding me to "Sure up loose ends". Simply put, there must be something wrong if there is no immediate absolutes.

So, you know how they say that you end up marrying your complete opposite? Yep, I did that. The Lumberjacks wife is a free loving soul that hates timelines, restrictions, bedtimes, schedules, budgets, meal times and one of my favorite words are "options"... As far as loose ends go, to me they are more of a lucid thing. They are simply there, to be dealt with should the time every arrive that forces the issue.

Over the years you may have guessed that our personalities have clashed at extreme levels. It's in those extreme moments that we learn how to honor and love. Oh, and compromise some too.

Right now we have lots of loose ends and none of them are of my doing. In fact, the Lumberjack had to reel me back in as I was dead set on making some deadlines & absolutes. Instead of me just going with the flow and letting things work out in their own timing, I'm trying to micromanage and sure up those loose ends. On the contrary, the Lumberjack is walking in complete peace and confidence that things will happen in God's perfect timing. WHAT? You see what happened here? It's a not -so- funny observation that I've made over the last couple of days. While I am like most females in regards of wanting everything secure, specifically my nest, I'm usually not zealous in dealing with business stuff. This whole process has brought me to a new level of understanding and responsibility. I feel like there is a lot on the line and we can't afford many mistakes on our end.

I'm still in my timeout that was unplanned. Hoping that tomorrow I will be as right as rain. Oh! One other things I want to give a praise report on... One of my three turbulent issues have been solved. We ended up writing a letter to underwriting explaining why the USDA loan would be best for us even though we qualify for FHA and Conventional. Our letter was accepted and sent to underwriting for final approval. This is very good news as I wasn't excited about coming to the table and throwing down a big payment. We need to focus on starting some kind of retirement.

I'll be packing one handed and chasing the baby till I post again. 16 days to go!

Unplanned Time Out

I feel like I have been placed in time out for a day or two. I guess I should be thankful, but right now I am still in pain. It hurts. I want my mommy! Wait, I am the mommy. Now what? I made a very silly and foolish decision today. I put beans on to boil for soup. I went to the other room to change little lumberjacks pants. In the process I got distracted by picking up one of his many messes. The next thing I hear was "Moooooooom!!!!!". I knew by the sounds of it, something was wrong. I followed the sounds of princess #1 bellowing in the kitchen. OH MY, WHAT A MESS! The bean pot had boiled over leaving the stove top a nice frothy brown. In the process of cleaning up the mess, I removed one of my grates over the burner and set it on a pan on the back of the stove. I must have hit it with the rag because it came crashing down. My reaction was to grab a hold of the grate to keep it from falling on the floor. As I have a burning hot grate in my left hand, I wanted to toss it down on my wooden cutting board but I didn't want to burn the board, so I held on to it a few more seconds till I could toss it back on the stove. Lots of really poor decisions all in a row. My hand was burned pretty bad in the shape of the stove grate. We immediately got it under cold water and then employed a bag of frozen veggies wrapped in a towel while I went in search of a box I just packed from the bathroom. THANK GOODNESS I had silver cream. After a liberal application and elevating my hand above my heart some of the stinging has went away. I will be taking some ibuprofen tonight before bed.

Needless to say, mama Lumberjack is in time out. Just goes to show you that when mama is feeling like she needs a mental health day, she should probably get one so she is not distracted.

I feel like I have been distracted for years now. However, it's only been a few months since moving started consuming some part of every single day. I am ready to "arrive". Ready to move on with life. Ready to stop thinking "Will something bad happen?" "Is this all going to fall apart at the last minute?" We each have very real fears we must overcome. That is a small glimpse into mine. 

Until tomorrow, I'm resting, reflecting and doing my time out.

Troubled Waters Ahead...

I cringe as I write the post title above. After all, being such a good Christian and responsible citizen, surely I should have smooth sailing. However, today it just doesn't seem that way. In all honestly, we expected a few areas of rough water. I somehow just thought perhaps this one time, we would get through unscathed. I know that when you try to take new ground, there is always opposition. It happens every time we try to go forward.

Where to start? Today I got hit by three major setbacks and I am trying very hard right now to depend on the wisdom of the Lord. I am sure all three issues have a way to be solved. I am just unsure of what equation will bring me to the solution.

The underwriters are insisting that we sell our house before buying a new one. Then they say once we sell, we will have too much assets (cash) and don't qualify for this loan. We can qualify for other loans, but now we have to bring a lot more cash to the table. It's winter and we are seasonally employed. That is not going to happen. We need into the farm before we close on this house and move our stuff because we need to paint, clean and shampoo the carpets. The buyers to the little cottage want in before the first of the month. We'd have to close on our current house, rent for a few days from the  new owners and also rent from the farmers... and this would cut my days to paint, shampoo, clean, move my household, clean the old house & shampoo down to 5 days. I have a baby. I'm old. I need a miracle.

So, here I am waiting for my mortgage guy to shoot me an email on options for a new loan and reflecting on some scripture I was asked to read by the Lumberjack. In 1 Corinthians 14:1 it says: So in everything strive to love. I haven't been doing that these last few weeks. In fact I have been doing the opposite. I have been tired, crabby, moody, fast to anger and no fun to be around. When I started this process back in June, the Lord gave me a clear direction. Count it ALL joy! I'm thinking this might be the very moment in which I received that word for!

I've struggled writing this blog post today for a few reasons. I hate admitting to the world that I too have problems. Who want's to hear about more problems in the world? Also, I'm pretty scatterbrained right now and still trying to comprehend what exactly is happening next. I can't seem to wrap my brain around it.

On a side note, I asked for today to be a mental health day. One day where I could just slip away and take some time not packing, cleaning, sorting, purging or dealing with moving in one capacity or another. I am going on record here to say that my mental health day has been postponed to next Tuesday, God willing!

I'm off to pray, pack, purge, sort and pray some more!
17 days to go! (I'll just keep using this date until I hear otherwise)